This simple high-protein vegan cheese sauce recipe is made with healthy and nourishing whole-foods and has a secret ingredient - white beans! You don't taste the white beans at all but it adds a lot of plant-based protein to this sauce. The recipe comes together in 15 minutes so it is perfect for a weeknight dinner. It also makes a great meal prep recipe as it can be stored in the fridge and freezer easily. It is also oil-free and nut-free.
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What You Need For This Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe
To make this delicious vegan cheese sauce, here's what you'll need:
- white beans: they make up the base for this sauce and are a source of plant-based protein
- bell peppers: preferably orange or red to add a nice color to this sauce
- mustard: this again, adds a great color, and also adds to the cheesy flavor
- juice of a lemon: to balance out the sweetness of the bell peppers with some acidity
- soy sauce: adds an umami flavor to this sauce - you could also use tamari instead for a soy-free option
- nutritional yeast: what is a vegan cheese recipe without nutritional yeast? Nutritional yeast as a subtle, cheesy flavor - it's great on pizza, lasagna and pizza dishes and also in vegan cheeses!
- turmeric: I added this primarily for color but it also has important health benefits
- cumin, garlic and onion powder: again, these spices add so much flavor and cheesiness to the recipe!
How To Make This Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe
Step 1
This recipe is so easy to make! First, take one red or orange bell pepper and cut it into large pieces. Add them to a metal pan or high-quality non-stick pan on medium-high heat and fry for 5-10 minutes. You want to get some burnt pieces on the bell peppers. Deglaze with a little water if it burns too much.
If you want to make a spicy vegan cheese sauce, you can add a chili or jalapeno at this point. Simply add it to the pan with the bell pepper.
Step 2
When the bell peppers are soft and a little charred, let them cool slightly. Then, add to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients (cooked/canned white beans, mustard, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, juice of a lemon) and blend.
Step 3
If the sauce is too thick at this point, you can add water little by little until your desired consistency is reached. Blend until smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4
You're done! Now you can serve your vegan cheese sauce (see below for some ideas) or fill it in meal prep containers and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you want to store it longer, you can freeze it. Make sure to let the sauce cool down before placing it in the freezer.
How To Serve This Vegan Cheese Sauce?
There are so many different ways you can serve this vegan cheese sauce and that's what I love about the recipe! If you make a recipe that is versatile, that is a simple way to add more variety to your meals! Because you only need to prep something once, and you can use it in multiple ways for different meals.
You can use this cheese sauce to make vegan mac and cheese. Heat it up in the microwave or in a pot, then mix with the cooked pasta and optionally you can add some broccoli or peas. Serve immediately or bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes (then you want to slightly under cook your pasta).
Or, you can serve this sauce as a dip for potato wedges. Another option would be to drizzle it on top of a pizza. I think it would go great with sweet corn, jalapeno, tomatoes and smoky tofu as toppings for a mexican-style pizza.
My favorite way to use this vegan cheese sauce is to make vegan potato nachos! Bake some potato chips (you can use sweet potatoes or regular potatoes), then top with a plant-based protein. Here are some ideas: walnut taco meat, black beans or lentil bolognese. Then, add some fresh cherry tomatoes and drizzle the vegan cheese sauce on top. You could also add some fresh parsley or avocado.
How To Store This Vegan Cheese Sauce?
I'd recommend you store this vegan cheese sauce in an airtight container or meal prep container. It can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. If you want to store it for longer, you can freeze it. To do that, let the sauce cool to room temperature before you put it in the freezer.
More Ideas For Vegan Dinner Recipes
Here are some more ideas for delicious vegan dinners that are easy to make and great if you are short on time!
High-Protein Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe (no nuts)
Ingredients
- 1 bell pepper red or orange
- 1 ⅓ cup cooked white beans ~250g
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 lemon juice
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Start by washing the bell pepper and cut it into pieces. They don't need to be too small because we will blend them anyways.
- Add bell pepper to a metal pan or high-quality non-stick pan on medium-high heat and cook for 5-10 minutes until lightly charred. Add a little bit of water if it burns too much.
- Add to a food processor or high-speed blender with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Add water little by little if the sauce is too thick until the desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Notes
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